IP Library Granted Patent US 12,401,985
Granted Patent B2
US 12,401,985 · App. 18/504,217 · Granted Aug 26, 2025

Steering of roaming in wireless communication networks

Inventors: Adrian Buckley (Tracy, CA); Jan Hendrik Lucas Bakker (Fort Worth, TX)
Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited
H04W8/06H04W12/06H04W48/18H04W84/042
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,401,985
App. No.
18/504,217
Granted
Aug 26, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for steering of roaming (SOR) in wireless communication networks includes sending by a mobile equipment (ME) a registration message to a visited public land mobile network (VPLMN). The ME receives a first message from a home public land mobile network (HPLMN) through the VPLMN. The ME determines that the first message has failed a security check. In response to determining that the first message has failed the security check, the ME sends a second message to the VPLMN, the second message including an indication that the first message has failed the security check.

Claims (43)

1. A user equipment, UE, comprising a processor configured to:

send a registration request message to a visited public land mobile network, VPLMN;

receive a registration accept message from the VPLMN, the registration accept message comprising steering of roaming information received from a home public land mobile network, HPLMN;

determine whether the steering of roaming information includes a list of preferred public land mobile network, PLMN/access technology combinations and whether a security check of the steering of roaming information is successful;

based on determining that the steering of roaming information includes the list of preferred PLMN/access technology combinations and that a security check of the steering of roaming information is successful:

replace a highest priority entry in an operator controlled PLMN selector with access technology list with the received list of preferred PLMN/access technology combinations, and

send a registration complete message to the VPLMN, the registration complete message comprising a transparent container including a UE response to the HPLMN; and

add the VPLMN to a list of forbidden PLMNs based on determining that the security check of the steering of roaming information fails.

2. The UE of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to send the registration complete message on condition that the security check of the steering of roaming information fails or the list of preferred PLMN/access technology combinations is not contained in the steering of roaming information, the registration complete message comprising an indication that the security check failed.

3. The UE of claim 1 , wherein a unified data management (UDM) node requests a response to the response to the registration accept message from the UE.

4. The UE of claim 1 , wherein the UE includes a Universal Integrated Circuit Card, UICC.

5. The UE of claim 4 , wherein the steering of roaming information is included in a secured packet.

6. The UE of claim 5 , wherein the processor is configured to send the secured packet to the UICC.

7. The UE of claim 6 , wherein the processor is configured to receive an indication regarding whether the security check of the steering of roaming information was successful from the UICC.

8. The UE of claim 7 , wherein the indication is comprised in a USAT command.

9. A method implemented by a user equipment, UE, the method comprising:

sending a registration request message to a visited public land mobile network, VPLMN;

receiving a registration accept message from the VPLMN, the registration accept message comprising steering of roaming information received from a home public land mobile network, HPLMN;

determining whether the steering of roaming information includes a list of preferred public land mobile network, PLMN/access technology combinations and whether a security check of the steering of roaming information is successful;

based on determining that the steering of roaming information includes the list of preferred PLMN/access technology combinations and that a security check of the steering of roaming information is successful:

replacing a highest priority entry in an operator controlled PLMN selector with access technology list with the received list of preferred PLMN/access technology combinations, and

sending a registration complete message to the VPLMN, the registration complete message comprising a transparent container including a UE response to the HPLMN; and

adding the VPLMN to a list of forbidden PLMNs based on determining that the security check of the steering of roaming information fails.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

sending the registration complete message based on determining that the security check of the steering of roaming information fails or the list of preferred PLMN/access technology combinations is not contained in the steering of roaming information, the registration complete message comprising an indication that the security check failed.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein a unified data management (UDM) node requests a response to the response to the registration accept message from the UE.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the UE includes a Universal Integrated Circuit Card, UICC.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the steering of roaming information is included in a secured packet.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the UICC receives the secured packet.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising receiving from the UICC an indication regarding whether the security check of the steering of roaming information was successful.

16. The method of claim 9 , wherein the VPLMN added to the list of forbidden PLMNs is an undesirable PLMN.

17. A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising instructions that, upon execution, instruct a user equipment, UE, to:

send a registration request message to a visited public land mobile network, VPLMN;

receive a registration accept message from the VPLMN, the registration accept message comprising steering of roaming information received from a home public land mobile network, HPLMN;

determine whether the steering of roaming information includes a list of preferred public land mobile network, PLMN/access technology combinations and whether a security check of the steering of roaming information is successful;

based on determining that the steering of roaming information includes the list of preferred PLMN/access technology combinations and that a security check of the steering of roaming information is successful:

replace a highest priority entry in an operator controlled PLMN selector with access technology list with the received list of preferred PLMN/access technology combinations, and

send a registration complete message to the VPLMN, the registration complete message comprising a transparent container including a UE response to the HPLMN; and

add the VPLMN to a list of forbidden PLMNs based on determining that the security check of the steering of roaming information fails.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the instructions further instruct the UE to:

send the registration complete message based on determining that the security check of the steering of roaming information fails or the list of preferred PLMN/access technology combinations is not contained in the steering of roaming information, the registration complete message comprising an indication that the security check failed.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein a unified data management (UDM) node requests a response to the response to the registration accept message from the UE.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the UE includes a Universal Integrated Circuit Card, UICC and the steering of roaming information is included in a secured packet, wherein the UE is instructed to send the secured packet to the UICC, and the UICC provides an indication regarding whether the security check of the steering of roaming information was successful to the UE.

Assignments (4)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 1, 2023
From: BLACKBERRY CORPORATION
To: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
Reel/Frame 065736/0763 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 1, 2023
From: BUCKLEY, ADRIAN; BAKKER, JAN HENDRIK LUCAS
To: BLACKBERRY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 065736/0915 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 1, 2023
From: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
To: OT PATENT ESCROW, LLC
Reel/Frame 065744/0123 →
NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT Recorded Dec 1, 2023
From: OT PATENT ESCROW, LLC
To: MALIKIE INNOVATIONS LIMITED
Reel/Frame 065744/0350 →
Continuity (5)
Continuation 17882356 · Aug 5, 2022
Continuation 17185761 · Feb 25, 2021
Continuation 15952846 · Apr 13, 2018
Provisional Application 62635483 · Feb 26, 2018
Related Publication 20240236637A1 · Jul 11, 2024
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Cited By (1)
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